


Of Veal and Veil

by Vander38



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 15:05:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19466491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vander38/pseuds/Vander38
Summary: Hangry dwarf with a nug discovers something about her adviser





	1. The Iron Bull sees all

Wind and snow tore through the streets of Haven, glass rattled in window frames where inside the noisome tavern a large fire kept the brutal mountain weather at bay.

The Iron Bull eagerly spooned his stew, Flissa was a very good cook. He let his eye watch around him, taking in small details. There was the raggedy blonde Elf, making obscene gestures with her hands to the small crowd, helpless with laughter. There was Josephine, so friendly and composed, with something in her eyes that spoke of regret, she was with Cullen, who may not wear the flaming sword but was nonetheless definitely a Templar. They sat with Leliana, the Orlesian redheaded spymaster. Her past was as storied as it was violent, and to his trained eye there were a dozen or more places to conceal blades beneath her armour.

Wind howled as the door slammed open. A muttered curse as it was closed with some difficulty. The figure dripped snow as they walked in, breathing hard, she was small with a dozen scratches over her skin.

In her arms was a struggling nug.

The Iron Bull stared at the nug, it was medium sized, maybe 8 pounds, the skin was pink, it had large ears and it’s feet, no it’s hands, no it’s hand-feet, fands? Heet? It’s legs were kicking out in a desperate bid for freedom, but Malika Cadash was stronger than a nug.

“Has anybody seen Flissa?”

Malika asked in her melodious voice.

“She’s changing the barrel, be back in a few moments.”

Cullen replied, eyeing the nug uncertainly, there had been a plague of them across the Kirkwall a few years earlier, unleashed from an expedition to the deep roads. They weren’t fierce but tended to bite when startled.

“I didn’t know you had a pet.”

Leliana said in a slightly excited voice, she was looking with big doe eyes at the nug.

Malika looked confused.

“Is it a cock or a hen? How old? How has the training been? I’ve struggled with training mine, the little rascals are devilishly resistant my methods.”

Leliana spoke quickly with the genuine enthusiasm of an animal lover.

Both Malika and the nug looked confused, there was a squeal from the nug as it was turned upside down.

“It’s a boy I think.”

Malika said uncertainly.

“Ah the young males are so very sweet.”

Leliana said in a cooing tone.

“That they are though I find them to be a bit too sweet.”

Malika replied in an understanding way.

“Yes I know, they are so eager for attention at that age, and with those eyes, I can hardly say no to them.”

Leliana said softly, a far away look on her face.

“I find a little salt and pepper takes the edge off though.”

Malika said evenly.

The temperature of the room dropped slightly as Leliana processed what she just heard.

“Say that again, I think I misheard you.”

She said with the voice of somebody giving the other person a chance to rethink what they just said.

“Well I always had a little bit of salt and pepper otherwise I find them a bit too sweet, a bit sickly and rich you know.”

Malika said oblivious to Leliana’s tone, or the way the Orlesian was glaring daggers at her.

There is a loud crash of wood on stone as Leliana knocked her chair over as she stood. Faster than Bull thought possible she swooped down on the Dwarf, plucked the squealing, struggling animal put of her surprised grip, then fled out of the tavern.

There was a moment of silence as everyone’s eyes swiveled from the door to the Dwarf. “Does she have any idea how long it took me to catch that?” She said mildly, though Bull could see that she was very annoyed.


	2. Vivienne observes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An argument in the Chantry, Vivienne keeps an eye out.

Vivienne leaned on the table in front of her enchanted mirror, as she adjusted her lashes. Despite the stormy, dreary place that is Haven, she was still determined to impress, after all, as she had explained at length to Scout Harding, the Game would continue, and she must continue to play along with it.

She heard a commotion from the doors of the Chantry, sighing heavily at the intrusion of the peaceful night she turned to see Leliana rush through, holding a nug?

The doors slowly swung shut and Vivienne turned back to her mirror.

She just selected a new brush when the doing slammed open once more. Turning again she saw the Herald, her latest pawn in the Game, rush through as fast as her little legs could take her. Vivienne shook her head, that had proved quite an unexpected surprise, that the Herald of Andraste had proven to be a Dwarf, a surface Dwarf with an unashamedly dark past in the Carta at that, not even a believer in Andraste at that. Still sometimes the greatest pieces are the ones no one expects.

She watched as Cadash followed in Leliana’s footsteps, noting fresh scratches on her face, muddy stains on her coat like she had been crawling in the dirt. Had sheen listening to the blonde elf? She shuddered at the thought of the Herald being guided and advised by one such as that.

She turned back to her mirror and tried to resume her work, important to the whole of Thedas, and stopped as a loud thumping came from Leliana’s door. She sighed again and went to watch.

Cadash was knocking repeatedly on Leliana’s door.

“Leliana’s can we talk like civilized adults?”

She asked in a tone so calm and patient it was obvious to everyone just how annoyed she was.

Vivienne felt her lips curl in a disgusted sneer as the blonde elf stood nearby. Vivienne had little time for people who were neither useful or helpful to her. And the elf was neither. Well almost everyone could work it out, the elf was crude, immature, uninformed and unintelligent and opinionated. She definitely could not notice the subtle differences that her betters would notice.

“That pissed eh?”

The elf said and Vivienne tried very hard not to sigh.

“Haven’t you got something childish to be doing?”

Vivienne asked in a carefully trained voice. Known throughout Orlais to be withering and powerful.

Sera blew a raspberry at her.

“Go away Cadash.”

Leliana shouted through the door.

“I’m not leaving until you give me back my dinner.”

Cadash replied, thumping the door still.

“You aren’t taking Alistair!”

Came the muffled reply.

“She’s named it, hah!”

Even the laugh is crude, thought Vivienne. Truly she wouldn’t last an hour at court.

“Stop naming my meals!”

Cadash replied in an exasperated squeal.

Then she thumped the door again.

“Leliana, open this door or I will break it down!”

She snapped, hanger temper fraying.

“I would like to see you try!”

Leliana called back.

Vivienne couldn’t help but wince, a challenge to a Dwarf was akin to a red rag to a bronto.

Cadash took a few steps backwards. The elf was practically jumping in place in her excitement.

Vivienne scoffed.


	3. Cassandra seeks the answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra finds out just what the heck is going on

Cassandra was pouring over her book, and comparing notes to the big map on the large table. Her notes were ordered and neat and listed the Allies and Enemies of the Inquisition. One column was depressingly large, the other depressingly empty.

She looked up and scowled as raised voices came from outside her room. She shook her head and returned to her notes.

There came an almighty crash and Cassandra dived for cover under the sturdy table.

She grabbed her sword and rushed out into the main hall. Steel shining naked in the torch light. Herald Cadash stood in the now splintered remnants of Leliana’s doorway. Sera was cackling wildly on the floor, rolling with laughter as she supported her ribs.

Vivienne was staring with a passionless expression. So aloof it was obvious to a moron she was deeply immersed in this mummers farce.

“What is the meaning of all this?!”

Cassandra asked in the iron tone of command.

“She, the door, boom.”

Sera weazed, barely able to breath.

“Leliana give me back my dinner.”

Cadash intoned calmly.

Cassandra swiveled her gaze to the Dwarf. She was in her thick overcoat, it had drying mud over the front and her face had small scratches and what looked like tiny teeth marks.

She also stood in the doorway above the broken pieces of door.

“Get away from Alistair!”

Leliana shouted desperately.

Cassandra looked easily over Cadash’s shoulder and saw one of the oddest sights of her career.

There was a nug, shaking in Leliana’s bed. The poor creature looked slightly terrified, it shook uncontrollably and it’s eyes were wild. There was also a growing stain on Leliana’s bed sheets.

Leliana stood protectively in front of the bed, a wicked knife in each hand, she was glaring with murder in her eyes at Cadash.

“Herald, Leliana, what is going on here!”

Cassandra shouted, stepping between the two of them. She sheathed her sword but kept her hand tightly on the hilt.

Cadash pointed an accusatory finger at Leliana.

“She stole my dinner!”

“I rescued a beautiful animal!”

Leliana cried back.

Cassandra understood then. Her eyes flicked from the nug, to Leliana, to Cadash. Leliana was very well known for being protective of cute animals, particularly nugs, Dwarves were well known to eat cute animals, particularly nugs, and nugs were well known for being edible, particularly by Dwarves.

“Herald, what happened?”

Cassandra asked, with the tones of a schoolmaster corralling unruly pupils.

“Well I caught it, then I took it to Flissa to cook but she wasn’t there and Leliana swooped down and stole my dinner.”

Cadash said somewhat put out, and slightly embarrassed by how it sounded.

“Leliana, explain.”

Cassandra said, turning her fierce gaze towards the redheaded Orlesian.

“Well I can’t just sit back and let Alistair get butchered alive and eaten Cass, you know that.”

She protested with wide eyes.

Cassandra frowned, both at the use of the diminutive and at the mention of Alistair.

“Why Alistair?”

She asked, tilting her head towards the nug.

Leliana shrugged slightly, “He looks like an Alistair.” She said softly.

Cassandra looked at the nug, they really were weird, bright pink with big ears and slightly too big feet, no it’s hands, no it’s hand-feet. Fands? Heet? It’s legs were too big.

Kinda cute though, with high pitched chirping noises and big eyes. She understood why Leliana loved her own brood.

“I wasn’t going to butcher it alive.”

Cadash protests.

“I would have stunned it first, a merciful quick kill.

Leliana proceeded to dispense with maturity entirely as she put her hands over her ears and make a loud noise.

“How can you be so cruel? I mean look at him, look at Alistair and tell me how you could eat him!”

Leliana said to the slightly deafened crowd.

Cadash looked directly at the nug, then back to Sister Leliana.

“Well normally I will dice them and slow cook them with mushrooms, tomatoes and other root vegetables, but that takes a while so today I was planning a fillet with blue cheese.”

Cadash said with the relish of a gastronome.

Leliana had her hands over her ears and was making the noise again.

Cassandra pulled the Dwarf to one side.

“Seriously, look at what you are doing to her.”

She said angrily, pointing at Leliana.

“She’s being over dramatic, about a nug.”

Cadash said bluntly.

“C’mon Cass, we have a war to win here, we need to be at our best, we need protein.”

She said pointing to the nug with the aplomb of someone scoring a point.

Cassandra made a disgusted noise at the repeated use of her nickname.

“I agree she might be over the top but that is no reason to be mean.”

She said bluntly, determined not to get further into this argument.

“Fine, I will apologise.”

Cadash said in a slightly put upon way.

“Leliana, sorry for talking about food.”

She said.

Leliana glared, so did Cassandra.

“Just explain, how you can eat something so adorable.”

Leliana said, her voice very upset still.

“I will explain Leliana, as soon as you explain how you can eat cow, or mutton, or goat, or pig, or chicken, or some types of fish, or rabbit or duck. I will explain why I eat cute animals, when you explain why you do the same.”

Cadash was standing firm, feet shoulder width apart.

Leliana stood silent, her knives limp in her hands.

She had no answer.

Then she sniffed angrily and offered a knife to Cadash.

“Go on then, look Alistair in the eyes and kill him then, go on.”

There was pure venom in here eyes as Cadash took the knife, she approached the nug, still shivering on the wet bed sheets.

It looked up and locked eyes with the Dwarf.

Brown and green stared at each other.

The knife came down.


	4. Finally some good food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cadash gets her dinner and Leliana gets an unpleasant surprise

Blackwall cursed as he struggled through the snow, he had known bad winters in his time but this was a bit too much, even for him.

He headed to the warmth of the Chantry, his hunt had been miserable but he had bagged a brace of conies, a few herbs and they would make a fine stew.

His stomach was already rumbling.

He entered the Chantry and saw a crowd, Vivienne was next to Sera, who was quietly hiccuping with red cheeks. Cassandra was stood by Leliana, who held a hand to her mouth as she watched Herald Malika approach a nug with a knife.

Damn nugs were weird, he thought to himself, they made odd noodles, were pink with ridiculous ears and creepy as anything feet, no hands, no hand-feet. Fands? Heet? Whatever he was no expert on the damn things and didn’t care to become one either.

Blackwall sighed, dropped the bag of rabbits and stumped over, boots shedding snow.

Before he could say anything he watched the knife fall.

It clattered to the stone floor with a rattle of steel.

Malika scooped up the nug, opened a window and pushed it out into the night.

It bounced eagerly away.

She looked directly at Leliana, her eyes slightly watery.

“Don’t say a damn word!” She said as she stormed away.

She brushed past him in a huff and the others watched her go.

“Leliana, I know it’s never pleasant to find an animal in your bedroom, but you don’t need to get Malika to kill it for you, you could have asked me, I would have gotten rid of it for you.”

He said in a helpful voice.

Then he felt like his soul was being stripped bare, felt the weight of each sin, each wrong doing and lie as Leliana shot a terrible glare at him. The sort of look that at twenty paces can kill small rodents, birds and lesser creatures like politicians.

Leliana continued to glare at him as she went away to find a craftsman for a new door.

Blackwall turned to Cassandra and opened his mouth.

“Don’t ask, it’s best to just not ask.”

Cassandra said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

He closed his mouth with a click.

There was an awkward silence and the group slowly dispersed.

He pondered the strange behavior of the Inquisition, and of women in groups as he set up a small stew pot to hang over the fire place, then whistled an old marching tune as he prepared his meal, rabbit stew with herbs and a little salt.

In the background there was the clattering noise of a door being hung.

All it was missing was a few potatoes.

He poured himself a generous portion, leaned back against a wall with an open bottle and began his meal.

Even if he did say so himself it was a good meal and he closed his eyes in gastronomic bliss.

He opened his eyes when he heard a rustling of cloth. Malika was standing in front of him, she was red faced from the cold wind.

She had a little wooden bowl in hand.

“May I join you please?”

She asked in a pleading voice.

He nodded and poured stew as she sat down.

“Sorry for bothering you Blackwall, it’s just, Leliana stole my dinner.”

She said before spooning stew. She closed her eyes and made a happy noise.

“My mother taught me that recipe.”

He said slowly, wondering briefly why he felt the need to share that.

She looked into his eyes, “She must be a very good cook.”

“She was, I was never a good learner though.”

He replied, then offered the bottle to her.

They drank and ate in silence, despite his burning curiosity. They watched as Sister Leliana stalked back into the building, pointedly ignoring them as she went to her room.

“I made a bit of a mess of things tonight.”

Malika said sadly, regret in her voice.

“Not as big a mess as that nug made in her bed.”

Blackwall replied evenly.

A small chuckle from Malika.

“Yes I hope Leliana sees that before she goes to bed, it would be kinda bad if she didn’t.”

Backwall laughed at the mental image and was about to ask what had happened, when a disgusted shrieking echoed through the Chantry.

“I guess not.”

Blackwall laughed.


End file.
